Code Lyoko: Isaiah's New Life
by lyokolover18
Summary: Isaiah, an African-American transfer student from Florida, makes his way to Kadic Academy in France. Brand new, he knew nothing, until he befriended Jeremy Belpois. Eventually, he finds himself with a new clique of friends and a new way of life... that dwells on the edges of danger.
1. Chapter 1

_**CHAPTER ONE: New Beginnings**_

Looking at the dorm building of Kadic Academy, I found myself instantly missing Florida. Although the scenery of France was beautiful and much more interesting than Saint Petersburg, it wasn't home. Also, looking around, only one out of twenty people here were black. It kinda made me feel like I was going to be a token to the society here. I was standing next to the school dean, who was also the janitor, and the P.E. coach apparently. Jim Morales was his name.

"This here is the dorm building. The first floor houses a few classrooms, the second floor belongs to the boys, and the third floor belongs to the girls. Basic rules apply, no boys on the third floor, and no girls allowed on the second floor. Now, luckily you are here on a Sunday, so classes are inactive for today and you'll get a chance to meet a few of your fellow classmates. Now, if you'll follow me, I will show you who you'll be rooming with." He explained to me. I followed him into the building, where a few students were conversing beneath the stairs. They turned and stared me down, causing me to turn away. I hated being the new kid... you never know if you'll be the outcast or if you'll be the new popular kid. "Now, your roommates name will be Jeremy Belpois, one of our top students here at Kadic Academy. He's only been here for a week and he's not real big on making friends, as he has none. But you two should be able to get along quite well." Jim said.

The second floor seemed more like a hotel than a dorm house. A few doors down, he stopped and knocked at a door. It was immediately answered by a blonde kid with glasses; Jeremy.

"Belpois, meet your new roommate, Isaiah Johnson. You two get acquainted and then show him around the school. Because you're in the same grade, you'll have the same classes." Jim said. He then walked away. Jeremy walked back inside the room and sat at his computer. Seeing that one of the beds was neat and the other was covered in text books, I knew whose bed was who's. So I immeadiately began unpacking my things and grabbed my laptop, beginning to place some of my things on the available desk. "So, where are you from?" Jeremy asked me. "Florida." I replied. "Must be nice there. Is it really just palm trees and white sandy beaches?" Jeremy asked. "Like hell. There's mosquitos and dangerous spiders and snakes and bi-plar weather... The closest thing you'll get to paradise is a sunburn, unless you're me, who's permanently crispy." I said. Jeremy chuckled a little. "Why did you end up here in France?" he asked me. "Well, I was selected out of my entire school for a foreign exchange program that would last until I graduated High School. I accepted, and left three days later." I explained to him. "Oh? Were you selected because you were smart? Talented? A genius?" "No... It was a lotto. Ten random students who applied for the exchange were selected, placed their names into a hat, and then one was selected. It was me, luckily."

"That's cool. Well from what I've experienced so far, Kadic's classes are pretty tough. Tomorrow, we've got Physics, then Gym, and then we have lunch for an hour. After lunch is free time, then we end the day with Math. That's a typical Monday." Jeremy explained to me. "Sounds interesting." I said, placing a five-subject college rule notebook onto the desk. "Yeah. I can show you around if you want." Jeremy said. "Yeah! That'd be really cool." I said.

Jeremy showed me where the restrooms and showers were on our floor, then showed me the classrooms downstairs that we would attend. The only two classes that we would be in were Math and History. Outside the dorm, he showed me the Science building, the Cafeteria, the Administration buliding, and the Vending Machine area. As we were heading towards the gym, we were stopped by three teens; a girl and two boys. The girl was pretty but seemed like a bitch, and they other two were weird looking. One was dressed like a total dweeb and had very large glasses, and the other was wearing a jersey and really short red shorts.

"Looks like we have a foreigner in our midst." The girl said. "I was wondering what smelled so weird." The dweebish guy said. "What was that?" I said, taking a step forward. "The guy in the jersey stepped up as well. "Relax, boys." The girl said. She then looked at me. "This isn't America, my foreign friend. Remember that. I'm Sissy, and these are my followers, Herb and Nicolas. We run this school, and you'll answer to us if you get out of line." She said. The three walked away away in the other direction. "Not to worry. She may be the Principal's daughter, but she runs absoluely nothing but the empty minds of Herb Pichon and Nicolas Poliakoff." Jeremy said. "They don't look a day older than us." I said, shoving my hands in the pockets of my black hoodie. "They aren't. They are in the same grade as us." Jeremy said to me.

Jeremy and I headed towards the cafeteria. It was seven o' clock, which was weird for me. Usually I didn't eat dinner until about nine. "Is the food here any good?" I asked him. "Most of it. I usually enjoy it for the most part." Jeremy replied. "That's reassuring." I said sarcastically. However, the food was actually very good. There were two options: Chiken Picatta or Spaghetti and Meatballs. Not feeling adventurous, I got the Spaghetti. It was absolutely delicious, and even came with a small container of Tiramisu for dessert. "So, breakfast is at seven, and classes start at eight-thirty. Stick with me and you'll get where you need to be on time." Jeremy said between bites of his Chicken Picatta. "Awesome. You're a huge help, Jeremy. Jim said you weren't very social." I responded. "Yeah, because no one here really talks to me. You know how it is... being the smartest kid around only attracts people who want you to do their homework for them or people who just wanna punch your face into a wall." he said. "I understand." I said. "I half expected to be jumped on my first day here... but it turns out that this might be one of the better decisions of my life. With my Mom sending me money every two weeks to spend however I please and no at home distractions, these next four years seem as if they are going to be good." I said, staring out a window.

A guy with medium length blonde hair with a purple blotch in it came over to us.

"You guys mind if I sit here? My roommate doesn't want me anywhere near him." he asked. "Of course not. Pop a squat." I said. He sat next to me. "You must be the new guy I've been hearing about. Is it true that you almost got into with Sissy?" He said. His plate was piled high with spaghetti. "I didn't get into it, she just said some things and walked away." I said. "Word is that you and Nicolas were going to fight." he said. "No way. I only stood my ground." I replied. "Well, I'd be careful if I were you. She's the Principal's daughter and she usually gets whatever she wants." he added. Jeremy scoffed. "She's nothing but a brat. I doubt she'll do anything drastic." The blonde began eating. "By the way, my name's Odd. Odd Della-Robbia!" He said. "Yeah," Jeremy said. "You're the one that sleeps in Math, Chemistry, and History." Odd laughed. "Nothing like a few extra Z's to keep my face young and zit-less!" "Z's attract F's." Jeremy added. Odd turned to me. "What's your name?" He asked. He had a smile unlike most other people... it seemed like it was a happiness that wasn't easily penetrated by earthly upset. "Isaiah Johnson." I said, beginning on my Tiramisu. "Well, since you're hanging with Jeremy here, it would seem that we have the same classes as well." Odd said. I nodded. "Cool! You know, we three should stick together! Like the three musketeers! Valiant, brave and devilishly handsome trio who stands up to all of Kadic with no fear!" He said. I looked over at Jeremy. He shrugged. "My, you have an explosive imagination." I said, smiling. "It's the artist in me! I either put all my ideas on paper or say them out loud." Odd replied.

After dinner, Jeremy, Odd and I headed back to the dorm I shared with Jeremy. "What time are you gonna be up tomorrow, guys?" Odd asked us. He was sitting on the floor. Jeremy was writing down a list of some sort, and I was still unpacking. "Probably six-thirty so we can grab a shower." Jeremy said. "Wow, that's early. I usually get up at like seven... then lay around until about seven forty-five." Odd said. "That explains why you're late most of the time." Jeremy said. "Whatever. I'll meet up with you guys in the cafeteria tomorrow morning. I'll get up early, since my roommate hates my guts." Odd said, leaving. "Alright, see you tomorrow." I said.

"It seems we've already formed a small clique of our own." Jeremy said. I shrugged. "Better than braving Kadic on your own, I suppose." Jeremy tossed the list he'd be writing out to me. I began reading it. "Um, steel and aluminum?" I asked. "I'm building a robot for Physics class, and then for other uses throughout my stay here. These materials are easy to buy... but there's this old abandoned production factory in town where I think I can find this stuff. But I'm small and weak... so can you go with me tomorrow during free time?" Jeremy said. "Sure, as long as we're back in time for class." I said. "Two hours should be enough time to get what I need. I apreciate your help." Jeremy said with a smile.

I was beyond happy. I made two friends, and things were looking up. After showering, I made my way back to the dorm. Jeremy was already asleep, so I decided to e-mail my Mom and let her know everything was alright. I already missed her teenage humor and motherly wisdom, but time away from each other was bound to make us both grow. I set my alarm for six-thirty, then got underneath the sheets of my bed and fell asleep not even minutes later.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter Two: The Abandoned Factory**_

When the alarm went off, I shot up and shut it off. I breathed in hard, expecting the smell of hazelnut coffee to infiltrate my nostrils. But the I remembered I was in France, thousands of miles away from home. Jeremy sat up and yawned. "Good morning. Did you sleep well?" Jeremy asked. "It was nice. Still trying to adjust." I said.

Heading for the showers, we ran into Odd, who didn't seem very happy. "Hey, what's wrong?" I asked. Odd looked at us and then away again. "My roommate hates me." he said. "What's with you and your roommate? Who is he, anyway?" Jeremy asked. "Ulrich Stern." Odd answered him. Jeremy's face turned sour. "Who's Ulrich Stern?" I asked. "He's a freshman like us, but he's got a serious attitude and dislikes almost everything that I do." Odd said. "Can't you request a room switch?" I asked. "It's much more complicated than that. In order for that to happen, there has to be both parental consent and an available room. I'm assuming Odd has neither." Jeremy explained. "Well, maybe it'll be easier if you only spent time there only at night when you're going to sleep." I said. "But the thing is, I can't. I... brought my dog to school with me." Odd said. "You what?!" Jeremy said. "SHH! Promise you won't tell anyone!" Odd pleaded. "How do you even manage to take care of him?" I asked. "I feed him dogfood I buy in town and take him out only on Sundays and at night. Stern has hated me because my dog... chewed up his socks. Ever since then he's been blackmailing me to give him money in order for him not to tell the principal." Odd explained. "That's horrible!" I said. "Finding out you have a pet on campus means immediate expulsion... However we can't let that happen." Jeremy said, scratching his chin. "Jeremy, why don't we keep the dog with us?" I suggested.

Jeremy smiled. "I was going to reccommend the same thing. If that's okay with Odd." Odd hugged us both. "Of course it's okay! And I promise that I will still take care of him and everything! He just needs a place to stay is all!" He said excitedly. "Done deal. He can move in tonight after dinner." Jeremy said.

After our shower, we headed to the cafeteria. Breakfast today was Scrambled Eggs with Ham and Whole Wheat Bagels. We sat at a table near the window. "So, Odd, we're going to the old factory in town to pick up some materials for a robot I'm building for Physics. We could use a pair of extra hands to help us carry some stuff." Jeremy said. "Sure thing." Odd said, eating ravenously. He stopped when someone came near our table. "That's him." Jeremy said quietly to me.

I watched him walk by, holding a tray with only an orange and a bottle of water on it. He was quite built, and by the smug grin on his face, he seemed like a total jerk. He sat at a table, immediately joined by Sissy, whom caused his smile to disappear with something she said to him. I turned back to our table. "He'll get his." I said. "You seem to enjoy looking for trouble." Jeremy said. "Incorrect. I like to eliminate problems before they get out of hand." I said.

When the bell rang, we headed to the science building for Physics. The teacher, Mrs. Hertz, seemed like a nice but strict woman.

I sat next to Jeremy, Odd sitting behind us next to a brunette guy. Jeremy was right... this class wasn't easy. The first hour of the class consisted of taking notes, while the other hour was practice exercises followed by about eight pages of homework she assigned to be done by the time we saw her again this Saturday. Jeremy was so passionate about the subject that he could easily help Odd and I understand the material so that it didn't sound like straight jibberish.

We headed over to the vending machines. I treated the guys to some hot chocolate. "So I'm hoping Gym is less stressful than Physics." I said. "Gym is actually pretty fun." Odd said. "Speak for yourself." Jeremy said, laughing.

A girl in black approached the vending machine area. "Morning kiddies." She said. "Just because we're freshman doesn't mean we're little kids." Odd said, wagging a finger. She smiled. "I know, just kidding around." She said. She looked over at me. "You're a new face. What's your name?" "Isaiah." I told her. "I'm Yumi. Yumi Ishiyama." she said with a smile.

"Nice to meet you." I said, bowing slightly to her. She chuckled. "You don't have to bow because I'm Japanese, ya know." I smiled. "I'm just trying to be respectful." I said. "Hey, Yumi!" a guy's voice said. Odd immediately turned towards the vending machine. None other than Ulrich Stern walked over to her. "Jim said he'd oversee our Martial Arts Sparring during free time." he said to her. "Nice. Can't wait!" she said. He met eyes with me. "New guy, huh? I'm Ulrich Stern." He said, outstretching his hand. "Charmed." I said, ignoring his gesture. "Well, aren't you stuck up." Ulrich said with a dry laugh. "Not the slightest. From what I've heard so far, you're a total dick." I said. "You wanna run that by me again?" "Whoa, what's going on? You were totally cool a minute ago when I came by." Yumi said to me, grabbing Ulrich's shoulder. "Yeah, because you were nice and respectful. This asshole has been blackmailing my friend out of his money." I told her. "I have no idea what you're talking about. He pays me for my loss of socks that his stupid dog chews up." Ulrich retorted. "Kiwi is not stupid!" Odd said, lunging at Ulrich. Yumi and I stopped him, with me grabbing his waist and Yumi stopping the arm that would have probably left a bruise on Ulrich's face. His face was beet red with anger. Jeremy simply sipped his hot chocolate, preferring not to get involved. I let go of Odd first, turning to face Ulrich. "You'd better leave him alone, or the next four years are going to be quite rough for you." I told him.

Yumi let go of Odd, who had now calmed down. "Ulrich, have you seriously been taking money from this guy?" she asked. "Like I said, I take the money to replace the socks that get chewed up by his dog, which shouldn't even be here. Either he pays up, or the dog gets reported." Ulrich said, picking up his backpack. "In short, blackmail." Yumi said, folding her arms. "Yumi-" "Look, we're gonna take the dog and let it stay in our dorm. That way you can stop taking Odd's money and leave him alone." I said, cutting him off. Jeremy nodded. "Come on, Ulrich." Yumi said, smiling at him. Ulrich sighed. "Whatever." he said, walking off. Yumi unfolded her arms and turned to us. "I'm sorry about Ulrich. He's not much of a merciful guy." she said. "You're telling me!" Odd said. We all laughed, the bell ringing as we did so. The three of us went to Gym, with Yumi heading to her History class. Gym went smoothly, with us all jogging a mile around the track and then set free to play whatever sport we wanted. Odd and I started a soccer game between the guys, with Ulrich on the opposing team and Jeremy acting as referee. After an intense game, we ended up losing to Ulrich's team because he turned out to be a beast at soccer.

Back in the Gym, Jim told us that there would be a fitness test on Saturday, and that it would weigh heavily on our grade. "How the hell does a fitness test make up for a part of our grade?" I asked Odd. "Beats me. But I know someone's gonna fail." he said, nudging Jeremy. "I could pass that test with my eyes closed." Jeremy claimed. "Careful, Einstein. You're already near-sighted." I said. The three of us laughed together, heading into the locker room to change for lunch. In the cafeteria, we sat at our usual table. Cheeseburgers and potato chips were for lunch, and chocolate chip cookies were for dessert. "So, Einstein, what exactly do we do when we get there? I don't know the first thing about hunting for metal." Odd said. "What is it with you two calling me Einstein?" Jeremy said, sipping his lemonade. "We're a clique! We should all have nicknames! You're Einstein, and he's Zaya. And I'm... Uh, I can't come up with a nickname for me." Odd said, scratching his head. "Your parents named you Odd for a reason. Let's keep it that way." I said. Odd punched my shoulder and we all laughed. "Okay." Jeremy said, putting down his lemonade. "Here's what we're gonna do. The factory is an old production line that specialized in building construction machinery. So if we head for the production room, there should be mounds of unused metal." "Seems easy enough, but are you sure it's gonna have what you're looking for?" I asked him. "It's possible, but it's a big factory. If we search around, i'm sure we'll either find it or something similar." Jeremy responded. "Find what?" a familiar voice asked.

Yumi had approached us and we hadn't noticed. "Oh, hi Yumi. We're going to the abandoned factory in town to find some supplies for a robot Jeremy's building." I said. She sat down next to Jeremy. "Seems like a cool thing to do during free time." She said. "Beats the hell outta sitting around for two hours waiting for another boring class." Odd said. "Point taken. Do you think I could come?" Yumi asked. Odd and I looked at Jeremy. "I don't see why not." He said.

After lunch, our clique of now four members headed downtown. When we reached the bridge eading to the factory, we kinda stood there and looked at it for a while.

"Anyone else getting creeped out?" I asked. "It looks like Dr. Shrank's Hospital of Horrors." Odd said. "And I thought that my little brother was the only one who watched that show..." Yumi said. "It's abandoned and surrounded by water, guys. I'm sure there's nothing to worry about." Jeremy said, walking ahead. We followed him across the bridge, and as soon as we walked into the factory, we got a blast of the smell of metal.

"Well, the maid around here sure isn't doing a good job." Odd said. "It looks like we have a problem." Jeremy said. "Already?" I asked. "Look over there." Jeremy said, pointing to our right. We then saw what he was talking about; the staircase was destroyed. There was absolutely no way down. "Not to worry, boys." We all turned to Yumi. We watched as she jumped off the ledge and grabbed a rope. She expertly slid down to the lower floor. "No problem." she said. There were five more ropes hanging from the ceiling. Grabbing three, we slid down and met Yumi at the bottom. "Okay, now how do we get to the production room?" I asked. "I printed out a map before you got to Kadic yesterday. This factory has been out of commission for a long time, but there seems to a power source the gives life to the elevator. We need to go a bit further underground so that I can find it." Jeremy said. With that, we followed Jeremy to another staircase and stopped in front of a hatch on the floor. Opening it, it revealed a ladder leading into a dark room. Climbing down, we saw a cylindral machine with a circular base. "Is that it?" I asked. "Yeah. There should be a switch that links to the elevator." he replied. Odd ran over to the machine. "Is it this one?" he asked, pulling up a random handle. "Odd, wait!" Jeremy said.

Too late. The machine rushed to life, spewing out a white smoke. The machine now shone with an array of yellow lights, and was making lots of beeping noises. "Oh man, who knows what you've done..." Jeremy said. Two doors across the room began sliding open, and the room now lit up. "Whatever he did, he opened the elevator." Yumi said. "Leave it to me to save the day!" Odd said, smiling and doing a fist pump. I patted him on the shoulder as we all headed towards the elevator. But we all stopped when something behind us thudded to the floor. When we turned around, we got quite a surprise.

"Ulrich?" Yumi said. Ulrich had followed us to the factory. "Why did you follow us, Stern?" I asked, crossing my arms. "Maybe he came to pick another fight with me." Odd said, frowning. "No. That's not it." Ulrich said. His voice was less testy and calm. "Yumi and I were supposed to go to a sparring session. When I went to look for her at lunch, she was leaving with you guys. She doesn't even know you guys, so I followed to see what you were up to." he explained. Yumi face-palmed herself. "I totally forgot! I'm sorry, Ulrich." she said.

"So, uh... what is this place?" Ulrich asked, looking around. "An out of commission factory. We're looking for some scrap metal for Jeremy." Yumi said to him. "Oh. Well uh... if you need some help carrying it..." Ulrich started. Yumi looked at Jeremy. He shrugged. She looked at me, and I looked at Odd. "As long as he doesn't talk to me, I don't care." he said quietly. "Alright then. Come on, Ulrich." Yumi said. Ulrich walked over and joined us as we walked into the elevator. As the door closed, Jeremy punched in some numbers onto the keypad on the wall. The elevator began moving, and when it stopped, the opening doors revealed a large room with inactive conveyor belts.

"Looks like we found it." I said. Jeremy headed to a pile of scrap metal. "Let's look for anything that isn't split in two or shows wear from electrical damage." he said. We scattered across the room. Odd made his way over to me, holding a switch box. "The face that he's here right now irritates me." he said. I laughed. "He isn't going to talk to you. There's nothing to worry about." I said, moving a broken TV out of the way. "I know, but..." "He'll only say something to you if you talk to him, which, given your mood change when he's nearby, isn't going to happen." I said, cutting him off. Beneath the rubble, I found a small black book. Odd had walked back to his area. I opened it to the first page, and there was a bunch of faded text inside. Flipping through the pages, I discovered that most of the pages were faded. But, on the last page, there was a paragraph that was perfectly legible. It read: 'KADIC ENTERPRISES PRODUCTION ROOM PROTOCOL REQUIRES ALL PRODUCTS TO BE THOROUGHLY EXAMINED BEFORE BEING SHIPPED TO DESIGNATED LOCATIONS. ANY DEFECTS ARE TO BE REPORTED VIA INTERCOM TO THE FACTORY HEAD AND NOTED IN THE LABORATORY SUPERCOMPUTER. FAILURE TO DO SO WILL RESULT IN IMMEDIATE DISMISSAL.'

"Hey, Jeremy. Come look at this." I said. Jeremy walked over to me. "Wonderful. A book will be highly helpful as a building block." he said. "No, listen. Looking at the text in here revealed that there's a laboratory somewhere in the factory." I said. "A lab? There wasn't a lab on the map." he replied. I looked back at the text, and beneath it, someone had scribbled 'Lab Code: 0659890' and a side note of 'personnel only' next to it. "Let's go check it out!" I said. He nodded. "You guys, we're going to another floor. We'll be back." he said to the others. "Okay!" They all said in unison.

When the elevator door opened after punching in the code, we were in a small room with a tri-facecomputer and mechanical chair.

I walked over to the computer. "It's on!" I said. Jeremy hurried over and got into the chair. He touched a key on the keyboard and the screen began loading. The screen then showed some nlack and green coding, and then the face of a girl with pink hair appeared.

"Must be the computer's help program." I said. "What's a help program?" a girl's voice said. Jeremy and I looked around but saw no one in the lab with us. "It was me, you two." the voice said. We looked back at the computer and saw the girl smiling. "You... can hear what we're saying?" Jeremy asked. "Yes, but do you mind telling me who I am?" she asked. Jeremy looked at me. I shrugged. "Well, you're not a help program... maybe if I search the computer's hard-drive I can find out what she is." Jeremy said. While he did that, the girl turned to me. "Where are you?" she asked me. "In an abandoned factory in France." I told her. "Where's France?" "In Europe." "Where's Europe?" "On Earth." "Where's Earth?" "In the Milky Way." "What's a Milky Way?" I face-palmed myself. "Isaiah... look." Jeremy said. On the screen, there was a picture of an orb with four disjunct figures rotating around it, colored blue, purple, orange and green. A glowing yellow arrow shone on a piece of the green figure. "That's her." Jeremy said. "So... she's somewhere in the computer." I said. "No. She's... in a virtual world." Jeremy said. "So this is a virtual reality video game?" I asked. "What's a video game?" the girl asked. I face-palmed again.

"Isaiah, look at this." Jeremy said. The screen now read : HUMAN VIRTUALIZATION PROCEDURE. "Okay? So what?" I said. "According to this, using a Scanner in the room below us, I can send you to this virtual world." he said. "Dude, fuck that. I'm not going to a virtual world when we've only known about it for five minutes." I said. "Come on! We could make a discovery that could change the whole world!" Jeremy said. I thought about it. I guess going to a virtual world wouldn't be so bad, and I did trust Jeremy since he befriended me on my first day at Kadic. "Fine. What's the code to the room below?" I asked. Jeremy turned to the computer and typed something in. "2417734." he replied. I nodded and stepped into the elevator.

What the hell was I doing? My first day of classes and I'm going to some makeshift virtual world?


	3. Chapter 3

_CHAPTER THREE: A World of Newfound Danger_

When the elevator door opened, I saw the so-called Scanners. They looked like alien pods.

As I was beginning to second-guess this, one of the Scanner doors opened. "Isaiah, can you hear me?" Jeremy's voice said through an intercom. "Yeah." I replied. "All you have to do is step inside of the Scanner. I'm going to send you exactly where she is." he told me. Breathing in and exhaling loudly, I walked right into the machine. The doors closed behind me, and the machine began to make whirring noises. Eventually, a breeze with the smell of metal blew past me and shut my eyes as the noises got louder. And then... all was black.

When my eyes opened, I was falling ot the ground. I landed on my butt rather hard. "Fuck! That hurt..." I said. Looking up, I gasped. I was in a forest of some sort... but the trees didn't have leaves... the grassy terrain was beneath me was solid... but it seemed to be floating.

"Isaiah! Isaiah, can you hear me? Tell me you're alright!" Jeremy's voice said. "Jeremy? Where are you?" I asked, standing up. "What a relief... I'm still here at the factory. Are you in one piece?" Jeremy said. "Yeah, I'm... whoa." I said as I looked at myself. My hoodie, jeans and sneakers were gone... and I was now wearing a sleeveless metallic blue chestguard with a sleek black shirt underneath it. My jeans were replaced by blue jean shorts, and my sneakers were now blue and silver. I was wearing fingerless black leather gloves and around my head was a sapphire circlet.

"What? What do you see?" Jeremy asked. "I'm wearing different clothes." I said, looking at myself. "Yeah, there's a card on my screen that shows you." Jeremy said. "Card?" I asked. "Yes. There's like a... life card. It says you have one-hundred life points, and you are a... an Aqua Wizard?" "The hell is that?" I asked. "Well, according to this, you can create and mold water at will. Try it!" Jeremy replied. I held out my hands. Without thinking, a glowing blue orb of water formed from each palm. I thought about a sword and shield, and instantly, a small shield formed and gripped my left hand while a short sword formed in my right, each of them decorated with a sapphire. "Awesome." I said, smiling. "Do you see the girl?" Jeremy asked me. I dismissed my weapons and looked around. All I saw was a tower with blue flames around the top half to my north.

"No. Just this Tower." I said. "Approach it." Jeremy said. I walked over to it slowly, cautious. I still was in uncharted territory. The lower part of the Tower began pulsing, and out came the girl. She had elf ears and a single red earring.

"Found her." I said. The girl approached me and began circling me. "You're not a monster." she said. "Well, no. I'm Isaiah." I said, laughing. "Isaiah? That's your name?" she asked. I nodded. "What's yours?" I asked. "I... don't remember." she said. Suddenly, the ground beneath us shook briefly. "Oh no." she said. "What? What's going on?" I asked. "Isaiah, Artificial Intelligence? Be on your guard. I've just received an alert about another Tower." Jeremy said. "What does that mean?" I asked. "It means we're not safe. I must go to the other Tower and return it to its dormant state." she said. "Well, where is it?" I asked. "Look." she said, pointing at the ground. The small earthquake came again, but, it showed traveling pulsations. "If you follow them, they will lead you right to it. But there are monsters here, and I can't fight them." she said. "So this has happened before?" I asked. "Only once. But I barely managed to get by the other time." she explained. "Well, I've got powers here... I could fight them and help you get there." I suggested. "Isaiah, I'm not so sure you should rush in with such confidence." Jeremy said. "Oh, come on Jeremy. I'll get the hang of this game." I said to him.

With that, we both began running, the girl in the lead. "Hey you two, something's headed for you. Be careful." Jeremy said. We stopped and looked around. I don't see any-" I was cut off by a searing hot impact to my left shoulder. The force from the shot sent me stumbling into a tree. "You just lost thirty life points!" Jeremy said. Then it came into view. Some sort of yellow cube with weird symbols on it and red crustacean legs beneath it.

"Okay, is there a specific way to kill it?" I asked, forming my short sword and shield. "You have to hit the symbol. Anywhere else and it won't take any damage." Jeremy said. The symbol facing me began glowing red, and then it shot a barrage of lasers at me. I managed to deflect them all with me shield, and then began sprinting at the monster. As it shot lasers at me, with my newfound virtual athleticism, I was able to dodge them. When I was close enough, I plunged the sword deep into the symbol, then kicked the monster away. I tumbled to the ground, then exploded into many tiny pieces, which soon disappeared afterwards. "Nice work. Now, Artificial Intelligence, can-" "You know, you don't have to call me that. You could give me a name or something." she said, cutting Jeremy off. "Well, what about Maya?" I suggested. She smiled. "I like that name. Call me Maya!" she said. "Well then, Maya, can you sense where the Tower is from here?" Jeremy asked. "Yes. It's this way." Maya said, running north. I followed, excited. This was like a real life video game and I was some kind of water-themed superhero!

Suddenly, she stopped running. "What's wrong?" I asked. She grabbed my arm and ran into a hollow tree. I could hear large robotic footsteps in the quiet forest. "That sounds big." I said. "They are. One person couldn't hope to take it on by himself." Maya said. That sparked a huge idea for me. "Jeremy, call for the others! They can help out here!" I said. "Yeah! Be right back. We sat on the cool forest ground. "So Maya? How are things?" I asked, making small talk. "I don't know. I don't who I am, my purpose, my real name, or even why I'm here in this place. All I know is that this place is extremely dangerous and that I need to de-activate this Tower." she said. "_This video game really hasn't been able to give the elf-helper much to talk about._" I thought myself. "Here they come." Jeremy said a few minutes later.

Ulrich, Odd and Yumi fell from above and hit the ground like I did, each with the same confused and painful reaction. Just like me, they had changed. Ulrich looked like a Samurai, Yumi a Renegade Geisha, and Odd... a purple cat of some sort. His hair was extremely unusual.

"Whoa. He wasn't kidding." Yumi said, standing up and looking at herself. "What the hell is up with your hair?" I asked Odd, laughing. "I don't know... I look like a purple traffic cone!" he said, laughing with me. Ulrich pulled his sword out of its case on his left hip.

"What weapons do I have?" Odd asked. I shrugged. "Maybe it has something to do with these gloves..." he said, flailing his arms around. An arrow of some sort flew out of his right glove, nearly striking me. "Hey, watch it!" I said.

"Well, I don't have a weapon." Yumi said, turning all around. Something hit the ground as she did so, with a light metal clang. It was a fan.

"A fan. Great. I can protect myself from heat." she said, picking it up. "You never know. You mind find a use for it." I said. "We need to hurry." Maya said. The other three turned and looked at her. "Who is she?" Yumi asked. "She was here when we found the computer. She might be the guardian of this place." I said. The robotic footsteps were audible again. "Whoa, we've got company. There are three monsters walking your way." Jeremy said. "Yeah! Party time!" Odd said. We left Maya in the hollow tree for safety, and went to face the monsters, but we quickly wished we hadn't. They were huge red crabs... about twenty feet taller than us.

"Each of the monsters here has a symbol on it's body that looks like an eye. Look for it and strike it. It will destroy them in one shot. They are also armed with lasers that they can shoot, and who know's what else they can do." I told the others. "BANZAI!" Odd yelled, running at full speed towards the monsters. "What an idiot." Ulrich said, sighing. Yumi took out her fan. Without warning, she threw it. What happened next was unexpected. The fan opened into a full circle and glowed quite bright. It spun wildly and shot towards the monsters, cleaving through all three of their front all fell forward, showing their vulnerable symbols on the tops of their shells. "Say, thanks!" Odd said. He aimed his glove and shot an arrow into the first one, destroying it. The fan soared back to Yumi, who jumped up and caught it. "I guess I'll keep it!" she said. Ulrich ran with speed that was almost inhuman and sliced the second monster. "I want this one." Yumi said. She threw her fan from where she and I were standing and destroyed the last one. "You've got a good arm." I said. "Frisbee. I play lots of it with my brother." she replied, catching it. Maya came from out of the tree. "Let's go!" she said. The three of us ran over to Odd and Ulrich, who joined us. In the distance, we could see the activated Tower. Its flames were red instead of blue.

"We're almost there!" I said. "So, do we level up when we get there?" Odd asked. "I don't think so... the situation is much more realistic than that." Jeremy said. "What are you talking about?" I asked. "I'll explain later, you have to get Maya to that Tower as quickly as possible. Hurry!" Jeremy said, his voice showing concern and anxiety. "Well, he's certainly playing the part." Ulrich said. "I'll say." Yumi chimed in. About seventy feet from the Tower, there was a huge metal ball sitting in front of it. "What's that huge bowling ball doing there?" Odd asked. Maya hid behind me. "It's a monster!" she said, cowering. It slowly opened up and revealed the eye symbol. The inside of the monster was a very sci-fi scene, with wires that looked like veins mixed with metal.

"This thing has symbols all over it. It should be an easy defeat." Ulrich said, pulling his sword out. He ran over to the monster at full speed. But, the monster then began a red pulse at its core, then shot a gigantic laser from its body at 180 degrees. Ulrich was struck by the laser, and sent flying back to us. When he hit the ground, his body began flaking away in white data squares, leaving nothing but a wire frame, then disappeared. "Jeremy, it killed him!" I said. "He isn't dead, he's back here on Earth. Hurry and fight that thing and get Maya to the Tower!" he replied. Yumi took out her fan. "Eat this!" she said, throwing it. Her fan flew over to the monster, but bounced off because it closed itself. "Now, run!" Yumi said. She caught her fan and we all began running towards the monster, Maya running behind us. When it opened again, it fired another laser, this time taking out Yumi. Odd began firing arrows at the monster. "I'll keep it inside the shell with my shots, run!" Odd said. Maya and I ran all the way over to the Tower. She ran inside. I heard a scream afterwards, jolting me around. Odd was gone, and the monster was still there. "It's okay Isaiah. No need to fight anymore. Maya's is safe." Jeremy said to me. With that, I was hit with the huge laser and blacked out. When my eyes opened, I was standing inside the Scanner, the doors opening slowly. Ulrich and Yumi were holding each other up, and Odd made his way over to me so that we could support each other. "That... was really fun..." Odd said between breaths.

The four of us, weakened and staggering, headed into the elevator and back into the laboratory with Jeremy. "Cool game, Jeremy." Yumi said. "I wish it were a game." came his dark reply. "What?" I said. We sat down on the floor next to Jeremy's chair. "I'm not sure with every single detail... but you were actually in mortal danger when you went to that virtual world. It's called Lyoko, and the monsters there may not be able to kill you, but the danger is if you fall into the digital sea below." Jeremy said. "I'm actually a pretty good swimmer." Odd said. "Have you noticed how far down it was, Odd?" Yumi said to him. "Neither of those are relevant issues. If you fall into the void, you'll disappear forever." Jeremy said. The four of us grew silent. "Now do you see the danger?" he continued. "Lyoko is a danger zone, and Maya is its keeper." "So we're dealing with a video game. All we have to do is shut it off." I said. "I'm afraid that is no longer an option." Jeremy said. "Why not? Is the switch broken or something?" Ulrich asked. "No, but while you four were there, I was searching the files and came across some extreme information. Apparently, there is a demonic artificial intelligence known as XANA. Apparently, it can activate the Towers on Lyoko and use them to affect the real world!" Jeremy said. "Affect us how?" I asked.

Jeremy took off his glasses. "It apparently can find its way through the network and into the real world. Who knows who lethal it can be." Yumi stood up. "Thee is no way we can leave this thing on! People could get hurt because of this thing." she said. "But there's more. If we shut it off, Maya will die." Jeremy continued. "She's not even real, Jeremy. She's an artificial being." Ulrich said. "My name is Aelita." a familiar voice said. We all looked at the screen and saw Maya, who apparently had been listening to the conversation. "Maya?" Jeremy said. "Aelita. I remembered my name when I de-activated the Tower." she said.

"That means... you're a person! Like us! Can you tell me how you got there?" Jeremy said. Aelita frowned. "I don't know. All I know is that I've been here for as long as I can remember." she said. Jeremy turned to us. "You see? We have to find a way to get her out of there." "Why doesn't she get attacked by a monster of some sort? She'll come back to Earth." I said. "Because I need to find a proper way to do so. Unlike you guys, her Earth D.N.A. is scattered into fragments in this computer, which means it'll take some time for me to find them... it shouldn't take me very long to find them. So let's not shut it off just yet." Jeremy said. "And what if that thing activates another Tower while you're looking?" Yumi asked. Jeremy turned away. "I thought about that, too. I really want to bring her back to Earth... so when danger approaches, do you guys mind going in to escort her to the Tower?" he asked quietly. We all looked at each other. "It looks like we don't have much of a choice... All of a sudden we're bound together in this extremely surreal situation." I said. "I'm in, too!" Odd said. "Guess I'm in as well." Yumi added. We all turned to Ulrich. He rolled his eyes and sighed. "Let's do this." he said.

Jeremy smiled. "You guys are the best!" he said. Saying good-bye to Aelita, we made our way back to school. We thankfully had minutes to spare before class started back. That night, we all gathered in Jeremy and I's room. "Okay, let's get one thing clear. We can't tell anyone about Lyoko, the Factory, or Aelita." I said. "And how long are we going to keep this up before we start falling behind in class and begin running out of excuses?" Yumi said. She lived off-campus with her family. "No need to worry. I was able to locate a function on the Supercomputer that will allow me to summon a burst of digital enrgy that reverses time. It won't affect either of us. And that way, we won't have to risk anything." Jeremy said. "That certainly is convenient." I said. Yumi stood up. "Well I'll see you guys tomorrow. I need to head home so I don't get in trouble." she said. "Wait! Shouldn't we all trade numbers? We're gonna need to stay in contact." Odd said. "I was about to say that." I added. The five of us exhanged cell phone numbers.

After Yumi left, Ulrich stopped talking. "So, since tomorrow is Tuesday, we'll have all academic classes. We should probably get some sleep." Jeremy said. "Okay, I'll go and get Kiwi so he can sleep in here." Odd said, standing up. "Wait, Odd." Ulrich said. Ulrich didn't look at him. "What?" Odd said, crossing his arms. "You don't have to keep Kiwi in here if you don't want to." Ulrich said. This got Jeremy and I's attention as well. "Just earlier today, you were complaining about my dog, and now you're being all nice. I don't get you, Stern." Odd said. "I know, I know. I'm not really a mean guy... I've just been in a really bad mood lately." Ulrich said in his defense. He stood up. "I know we're not on the best terms right now, but since we're all in this together, we might as well be friends." With that, he left the room, closing the door behind him. "Who does he think he is?" Odd said. "A member of our clique, apparently." I said. Odd looked at me. "He has a point, Odd. We're going to need to be a team in order to fight this thing. So go make nice." Jeremy said. Odd rolled his eyes and left.

"From new guy to Lyoko Warrior. Looks like coming here was a good idea after all." I said. Jeremy smiled at me and gave me a thumbs up.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Chapter Four: **__**TEDDYGODZILLA**_

Two months have passed since we first discovered the factory and Lyoko. XANA has been quiet since the discovery, which was a relief. Only Odd seems to have been obsessed with going back. A month ago, we went back to Lyoko to do some training. Jeremy has been very much into his research on Lyoko and Aelita's materialization onto Earth. Now, he's able to work the Supercomputer like it's his own creation. During the training session, we honed our fighting skills and now are able to defend ourselves much more accurately. Jeremy programmed monsters and now we know how to deal with each of them. Odd let his love of Lyoko go to his head, and now his hair is fashioned in the way it looks on Lyoko. He was the talk of the school that week, but eventually, no one cared.

Now, it was Saturday afternoon. The school prom was happening tonight, and our clique (minus Jeremy) was helping to set up. Ulrich and Odd were now close friends. In fact, we all were best friends now. We did almost everything together these days. "So, Isaiah. Have you asked a girl to the dance yet?" Odd asked me. I shook my head. "Must I remind you that I'm manning the snack bar? I won't be dancing, I'll be too busy selling diabetes to hormonal teenagers." I said, setting up a ladder. Yumi walked over with some light fixtures and climbed the ladder. Ulrich held it steady for her. "Would you have wanted to go?" Odd asked me. "Nah. I'm not really into dances and stuff like that. I probably would have spent the time with Jeremy if I weren't already the snack booth guy. Jim roped me into it, knowing I have a hard time saying no." I said. We heard some voices arguing outside, and saw Sissy, Herb and Nicolas outside. Across from them were Milly Solovieff and Tamiya Diop, two 7th graders in charge of the school paper.

"There are lots of other boys!" Milly said. "Well? Go on then." Sissi said slyly. Milly turned towards the door where we were working. "Um.. Ulrich? Would you... be my date tonight?" she staggered, tears forming in her eyes. Ulrich blushed a little. "Uh, I'm sorry Milly. It wouldn't be a very good idea. I'm a little too old for you. And, I already promised to go with Yumi..." he said apologetically. Yumi climbed down the ladder as he said this. "You see?" Sissy said, laughing. "What did I tell you? But don't worry Milly. I'm sure you find a boy for the sandbox dance. Meanwhile, why don't you go play with your dolls?" Tears flowed down Milly's face as she ran out of the building, with Tamiya following. "I hope you're proud of yourself." Yumi said, a hand on her hip. Ulrich and Odd were to her left, with me to her right. Sissi snapped a finger, and Herb and Nicolas followed her out of the room as well. We returned to our work in the auditorium. Odd and I got on stage and began setting up microphones, while Ulrich began taping down the long wires of the sound system. "Don't look so gloomy, Ulrich. Is it because of Milly? You could have said yes. You know me, with school dances and all. It's not like I'm dying to go." Yumi said. "Even if I was your date?" Odd said into the microphone. I laughed. "Who are you going with anyway?" I asked. "One of my many secret admirers." he replied. "Going by yourself. Got it." Jeremy said as he walked in. We all laughed, with the exception of Odd.

"Hey Jeremy." Yumi said. "Sissy really did come on strong. If meanness is a recurring quality for a beauty queen, no wonder she keeps getting elected as the Prom Princess." Ulrich said. "True, but try to get Ms. World to see that." Jeremy said. "Ms. World, huh? Ms. In-her-own-world is more like it." Odd said into the microphone. "I heard that!" Sissy, coming into the auditorium. We all laughed. After finishing up, we went to lunch. Today was a cheap steak with french fries. After bout half an hour, we noticed a group of kids crowding around the east dorm entrance. "Must be a fight or something." Ulrich said. "Yeah, Kevin and Christophe were arguing this morning about Mallory. Its a game of who likes her more." I said. "No... it seems a little more complicated than that." Yumi said.

We went outside and joined the crowd. Principal Jean-Pierre Delmas, Sissi's father, had an arm around her.

"Move along now, back to your dorms." he said. Milly and Tamiya were also there. "Looks like we've got ourselves a super scoop." Milly said, writing in a notepad she was holding. Tamiya snapped a photo with her camera. Delmas and Sissi walked over towards the Administration Building. I saw Heidi Klinger, and blonde girl I had befriended during Gym.

"Hey Heidi." I said, walking over to her. "Oh, hi Isaiah. Have you heard about what happened to Sissi?" she asked. I shook my head. "I was hoping you could tell me." "Well apparently, she was attacked by something in her room." Heidi said. "No clue what?" I asked. "Not at all. But I suppose we'll get some answers by tonight." she replied. "Okay, thanks a bunch Heidi." I said, walking back to the gang. "So?" Yumi asked. "Apparently, she was attacked by something. No one has a clue what, though." I said. "Maybe we should check to see if our old friend XANA isn't behind this." Odd said. "Mhm." Yumi said, nodding. We headed up to the girls floor and opened Sissi's door. Her room was in tatters, with most of the electrical items destroyed. "Well what do you think?" Ulrich asked. "A simple short circuit... too many appliances plugged in at the same time." Jeremy said, looking around. "Yeah. Bright lights, lady's shaver, curling iron... altogether, what would you expect to happen?" Yumi said. "Okay, but then why is the dresser damaged as well?" I asked. Odd shrugged. "Let's keep an eye out for the unusual." Jeremy said. "We still don't know if this is XANA's doing or not."

I took a walk with Odd. Out of our group, he and I were the closest. "So tell me about this mystery girl you're taking to the dance tonight." I said as we walked out the dorm building. "Well, the truth is... I'm not going with anyone. I'm just going alone because I couldn't bring myself to ask the one I wanted to." he said. "What, you? Afraid to charm a girl?" I said. "I know, I don't know what's gotten into me." Odd said with a laugh. We saw Milly and Tamiya sitting on the cement tile of the pathway. Milly was crying again, with Tamiya comforting her. "Oh, look at the pictures we took Milly. They're really fantastic." she was saying. "Something wrong, Milly?" Odd asked as we approached them. "Somebody stole her teddy bear." "And I'm sure its one of the big kids who did it for spite!" Milly said angrily. "Aw, come on. Maybe you just misplaced it." I said, wiping a tear from her eye. "Milly, you're right!" Tamiya said, looking at a photograph. "Look at this! It's a picture of Sissi's room." Milly gasped. "And there's my teddy bear! Hidden under her pillow!" Sure enough, there was a teddy bear under the pillow on Sissi's bed. "Who would have believed it. Soon, she'll be playing with dolls!" Odd said with a slight laugh. "We gotta find her!" Milly said. "You already got us grounded today by back-talking Jim. If he catches us in the dorm, we're in big trouble." Tamiya said. "You guys go ahead back to your room. We'll go and get it." I said. Odd and I took the photo and headed back up into the girls dormitory.

When we got there, Odd went inside and looked for the bear while I kept watch. "It isn't here, Zaya." he said. "What are you talking about?" It should be right there under the pillow, just like in the photograph." I said. "Well it's not here now." Odd retorted. I walked inside Sissi's room and looked for the bear myself, but Odd was right. Milly's bear really wasn't there. "Well, there's no use looking for it now. Maybe it'll turn up later. We'll get grounded from the dance if we stay here." I said. Odd and I went downstairs to the boy's dormitory. "Yo, Johnson! Della Robbia!" a guy said. We recognized him as Christophe M'Bala, a guy in Yumi's grade.

"What's up?" I said. "There's a rumor goin' around that Jim got jumped by someone. But nobody knows who." he said. Odd and I looked at each other. "Where is he now?" I asked. "In the infirmary. But Delmas is in there, and he ain't lettin' people get close." Christophe said, walking away. Odd and I ran to the infirmary to see Principal Delmas walking out. "Oh hello boys. Looking for something?" he asked. "Oh, uh... no! We heard about Jim. Do they know who attacked him?" Odd said. Delmas shook his head. "No, for now I think our gym teacher could use some rest." As he said this, he balled up a piece of paper and tossed it into the nearby garbage can. When he left, Odd retrieved it. He gasped when he opened it up. "What?" I asked. He showed me the paper, and I gasped as well.

It was a picture of a teddy bear with an evil face.

That night, Jeremy, Odd, Ulrich and I gathered around the hallway arches. "XANA? A teddy bear?" Ulrich said, holding the drawing. "I'm pretty sure. I expected him to be somewhere where we would least expect him." Jeremy said. "Well if its a tiny little bear, I don't think its capable of doing severe damage." I said. "So, off to Lyoko?" Odd said excitedly. "No. It's too dangerous without Yumi." Jeremy said. Yumi had gone home to change for the dance. Unlike us she lived off campus. "I volunteer!" Odd said. "What did I just say, huh? You never know what you're gonna find there." Jeremy said sternly. "Well, have you got any other ideas? There have been two accidents already! Even with your newfound time turning thing, we can't reverse death!" Odd said. "No worries, Jeremy. If things get too rough out there, call me. I'll rush there as fast as I can." I said. "Yeah Jeremy. Odd can handle this. I'll stick around and look for clues. If I find anything, I'll be sure to give you call. Go on and say hi to Aelita for me." Ulrich said, smiling. Jeremy smiled and he and Odd headed for the park that led to an underground sewer which would take them straight to the factory. "You go on and head inside. Keep your headset on, though. We'll stay in contact in case we need to get to Lyoko. I'll start by searching around town and then get to Yumi's." Ulrich said to me. I nodded.

Half-past eight, I had just sold my fifteenth soda when Jeremy called. "Isaiah, how are things over there?" he asked. "Haven't heard a thing from Ulrich." I said. "They are on their way to the school. The bear is monstrous and can easily destroy a building. Odd and Aelita haven't found the Tower, but they could use your help. Yumi and Ulrich will evacuate the auditorium and the dorms. Hurry!" Jeremy said. I sprinted out of the booth and out the building. As soon as I went outside, I heard police sirens and giant footsteps. There was a point in the park where I could actually see the bear from where I was, and it was pretty scary.

Closing in on the factory, I headed straight down to the Scanner Room. "I'm here Jeremy!" I said. "I'll start the procedure." came his intercom reply. I walked into a Scanner, the door closing behind me. "Transfer, Isaiah." he said. The familiar mechanical breeze blew by. "Scanner, Isaiah." I began rotating slowly, closing my eyes. "Virtualization."

Landing on my feet, I noticed I was in the Desert Sector of Lyoko, my least favorite.

Odd and Aelita were a few yards away from me, next to spiraling crater. "Hello Isaiah!" Aelita said. "Hi. Where's the Tower?" I asked. "The pulsations have led us here." she replied. "Well, not down there. Better keep looking." Odd said. "Watch it, five monsters coming at you!" Jeremy warned us. Sure enough, headed towards us were five Kankrelats. We'd taken the liberty of naming all of XANA's creatures.

"Wonderful." I said, forming my sword and shield. They began firing lasers at us, which I easily deflected with my shield while guarding Aelita. Odd took on three monsters by himself while I was caught in a crossfire. "Ow, fuck!" Odd said, sent flying by a flurry of lasers. "Odd, you're down to fifty life points!" Jeremy warned. "Odd, Isaiah, we don't have a choice! We have retreat to the crater!" Aelita said. I nodded. "Odd, let's go!" I said. But Odd was frozen with a worried expression on his face. "Now, Odd!" I yelled. He zoned back in and followed us down. "Laser arrows!" he said as Aelita and I ran ahead. We heard three explosions, meaning only two were left. "Guys watch out!" Odd yelled. We didn't have a chance to look before the remaining two Kankrelats fell from above, knocking me backwards and Aelita over the cliffside. "No! Aelita!" I said, grabbing for her but ultimately missing. Odd did an extremely risky free fall, managing to grab her and dig his claws into the wall. "I got her! No worries!" he said. "Hey, look!" Aelita said. "Look at what?" I said. "Nice going Aelita! Zaya, there's a cave passage here that leads to the Tower!" Odd said.

Making my way down there, I joined the others and proceeded down the pathway with them. "By the way, Odd, why were you spaced out earlier?" I asked. "I had a vision that Aelita was gonna fall. That's why I was prepared to jump and save her." he replied. "You guys, I got a call from Ulrich. The bear is destroying the school! Get a move on before any casualties occur!" Jeremy rushed. "It can't be too far away. The pulsations are nearly knocking me over." Aelita said. We heard metal rolling behind us, and to our horror, a Megatank was on our heels. "Oh shit! Run!" I said. The three of us ran down the path and barely managed to avoid being bulldozed. However, the Tower was now in plain sight. "We found the Tower, Jeremy." Odd said, panting. "Great! Well done you three. Now all you have to do is de-activate it!" Jeremy said. "Easier said than done." I said, guarding Aelita. "This thing made mincemeat of us when we first encountered it." "We can take it. We're ready this time!" Odd said, cocking his glove like a shotgun. The Megatank opened and aimed for him. "Icy Grasp!" I said, pointing my sword at the Megatank. A swift blizzard shot from the tip of my sword and froze the monster solid. "Aelita, now!" I said. Aelita ran into the Tower just as the Megatank broke free. Odd nimbly hopped onto the still aiming Megatank and put an arrow into it, sending it rolling into the wall. It made a huge explosion and then disappeared. "Our first mission is a total success." I said, dismissing my weapons. Odd ran over and high-fived me.

The Tower's flames returned dormant. "Excellent job you guys. Return to the past now." Jeremy said. With that, a flash of white light appeared, and we were suddenly back in the auditorium, helping set up for the dance. "Remember guys, play it cool." Jeremy said. "Well, go on then." We heard Sissi say again. Sure enough, there was Milly standing in the doorway. "Um...Ulrich? Would you... be my date tonight?" she asked, the tears beginning to form in her eyes again. Ulrich smiled and walked over to her. He knelt down to her level and put his hands on her shoulders. "Be glad to, Milly. I'll see you here at eight!" he said. Milly's face lit up. "Really?" "Why, sure! You're not too mad at me, are you Yumi?" he said, looking over at Yumi with a smile. "Not at all. Anyway, MY secret admirer will take me tonight. Right, Odd?" she said, punching his shoulder. Odd smiled devilishly. "WHAT?! Ulrich! You're gonna go out with that little baby?!" Sissi asked in disgust. "That's right, I sure am. But don't worry. When you manage to get your giant head out from the depths of your ass, you might be an option on my list as well." Ulrich replied. Everyone of us burst into uncontrollable laughter. Sissi stormed away, Herb and Nicolas desperately trying to follow.

So the dance went well that night, and I had a great time, even though I was a vendor. Seeing Odd and Yumi slow dance was extremely funny because she's a few inches his senior. Ulrich and Milly were actually pretty cute together, and I'm sure he made her night one to remember. Even Jeremy showed up and hung out with me while I sold concessions. With XANA prowling the computer and his attacks unpredictable as to when they would happen, I could tell that moments like this would be extremely meaningful to the five of us.

_**11:43 P.M.**_

_Hey Mom. Things are going well here in France. I don't know if I've told you, but I have an extremely close group of friends here now. You already know about Jeremy, but now I've got Odd, Ulrich and Yumi with me as well. Yumi is a year older , but she always manages to catch us in the commons, the cafeteria, and in study hall in the library. Thanks to Jeremy, I'm ranked third in the Freshman class, second only to Jeremy and just barely above Herb Pichon, Jeremy's rival. But yeah, since I can't call you, our frequent e-mails shall have to do. I bought my own cell phone at the airport getting off the plane, so it only registers and calls this area. It'd be really nice to hear from you soon. I love you!_

_Isaiah _


End file.
